Your Local Dine Guide
Welcome to the Season at Surf & Sand Resort
To carry the spirit of summer into fall, Surf & Sand Resort welcomes guests and visitors for special nightly offers.
Monday nights at Splashes is the Paella Party, featuring the Valencian dish made with fresh seafood. Tuesday is Flights & Bites night at Splashes, at which time guests can sample a selection of wines, enjoy accompanying nibbles and choose from a three-course menu, with or without wine pairings. Friday’s “Let’s Get Social,” held at the resort’s 15FiftyFive cocktail lounge, offers deals on drinks and appetizers from 4 to 6 p.m. announced on the Surf & Sand Resort Facebook page. Saturday presents Local Libations at 15FiftyFive, a night and menu devoted to local craft spirits, wine and beer, with live music playing from 5 to 8 p.m. And in honor of Sunday football, 15FiftyFive offers a nice haunt for fans to enjoy food and drink specials and cheer on their teams.
The resort is also offering up a coastal twist on Thanksgiving on Thursday, Nov. 22 at Splashes Bar, where a three-course meal will be served from 12 to 8 p.m. at $65 per person. (949-497-4477; surfandsandresort.com) —F.N.
Tastes of Tabu
This fall, Tabu Grill will test your palate’s penchant for “sinfully delicious” flavors with a series of pre-selected tasting menus. Every Sunday to Wednesday, chefs Moriah Robison and Rayne Frey will serve a different menu that challenges their culinary prowess in its range of influences, ingredients and methods of preparation. For $25 per person, plus an additional $10 each for optional wine pairings, guests can enjoy four well-balanced courses with inspiring fusions drawn from local and exotic cuisines. (949-494-7743; tabugrill.com) —F.N.
New on Broadway
The sign is up and the doors are finally open at Carmelita’s, the new Mexican restaurant on Broadway that officially opened on Sept. 14 after a soft opening on Sept. 10. The eatery takes over the site of Crab Zone, which shuttered two years ago. Manager Lucas Ivan says the reception has been great so far. The menu includes appetizers like ceviche and queso fundido; Mexican favorites like enchiladas, flautas and fajitas; seafood options including bacon-wrapped scallops and lobster chile rellenos; and signature dishes such as pollo Serrano and Costilla’s a la Diabla, a serving of baby back ribs with chile ancho glaze, corn, onions and beans. The restaurant features a full bar with an extensive tequila list, tequila flights, wine, beer and a healthy amount of pure and handcrafted margaritas. Carmelita’s is open for lunch at 11 a.m. and stays open for dinner, usually until 10 p.m. (949-715-7829) —L.D.
Golden Foodie Award Winners
The first ever Golden Foodie Awards celebration took place Sept. 30 at the Fairmont Newport Beach. Orange County restaurants, chefs, bloggers and mixologists were honored in 30 categories. Hosted by comedian Frances Dilorinzo, the lively awards show featured many celebrity presenters, and several of the Real Housewives of Orange County were present, complete with film crew. The statuette presented to each winner is made of solid pewter, covered in 14-karat gold and created by the manufacturers of the Golden Globe awards. The winners, as chosen by patrons and local foodies, included Best Indian Food in Orange County: Tamarind of London; Best French Food in Orange County: French 75 (which also took home Best Mixologist); Best Tacos in Orange County: SOL Cocina; and Best Happy Hour in Orange County: Brasserie Pascal, among many others. K’ya Bistro, House of Big Fish and Ice Cold Beer, Stonehill Tavern, Cucina Alessa and Sundried Tomato Cafe were also finalists, though they didn’t bring home the win this year. For a complete list of winners, visit goldenfoodieawards.com. —M.M.
Fall Festivities on the Hill
Celebrate the olive harvest and The Resort at Pelican Hill’s Italian roots with restaurant specials and a festival that takes fresh Italian cuisine to the next level.
Both the Pelican Grill and the Coliseum Pool & Grill are offering seasonal a la carte specials with ingredients from nearby Irvine Ranch. Throughout October and November, the resort’s upscale restaurant, Andrea, will offer exclusive white truffle a la carte dishes, as well as a number of selections enhanced by the resort’s homegrown olive oil.
To commemorate the resort’s third annual olive oil pressing, it will host a celebration Nov. 2 – 4, where locals and visitors are invited to the Italian Street Festival on Saturday for a day of eating that includes a live olive pressing demonstration, Italian cooking exhibits, an espresso and gelato lounge, as well as wine, cheese and olive oil tastings. Attendees can also partake in bocce ball games and an automobile exhibition, or enjoy the talents of traditional street-painting artists, plein air painters and Italian musical performers. If you want to make a weekend out of it, the resort will offer four packages with guest-only events included. (949-467-6800; pelicanhill.com) —C.H.
Fresh Express
Olamendi’s Express offers salads with same-day produce from Alegría Farm.
Farm-to-table meals are a standard of freshness in the culinary world, and now Alegría Farm and Olamendi’s Express are taking it to the next level. Alegría Farm, a new commercial hydroponic vertical farm located in Laguna Beach, and Olamendi’s Express in Mission Viejo have teamed up to offer same-day harvested salad greens at Olamendi’s Express. The restaurant will be the first to feature the locally grown produce from Alegría Farm, which uses more than 170 hydroponic towers growing 10,000 plants in less than one-fourth of an acre without the use of pesticides. The farm utilizes the Verti-Gro system, which uses no soil and 90 percent less water, 70 percent less land and 50 percent less fertilizer than traditional organic farming.
“When we discovered Alegría Farm, we knew immediately this is a great opportunity to set a new standard in our traditional recipes by using these locally-grown, clean and natural ingredients,” says Carlos Olamendi, co-owner of Olamendi’s. (Olamendi’s Express, Mission Viejo: 949-768-8991; Alegría Farm: alegriafresh.com) —L.D.
Bon Appetite
Long beloved among locals for its exquisite cuisine, romantic ambience and Champagne cocktail happy hours, French 75 Bistro and Champagne Bar—cozily tucked back from Coast Highway in Laguna’s village neighborhood—is earning accolades as a favorite throughout Southern California, as recently expressed through its win as Best OC French Restaurant by the Los Angeles Times Readers’ Choice awards. —A.B.
DINE GUIDE
American
BJ’s Pizza and Grill
280 S. Coast Hwy.; 949-494-3802;
bjsrestaurants.com
The Deck on Laguna Beach
627 Sleepy Hollow Ln.; 949-494-670; deckonlaguna.com
Broadway
328 Glenneyre St.; 949-715-8234;
broadwaybyamarsantana.com
The Cliff Restaurant
577 S. Coast Hwy.; 949-494-1956;
thecliffrestaurant.com
The Cottage Restaurant
308 N. Coast Hwy.; 949-494-3023;
thecottagerestaurant.com
Hennessey’s Tavern
213 Ocean Ave.; 949-494-2743
lumberyard
384 Forest Ave.; 949-715-3900;
lblumberyard.com
Ruby’s Diner
30622 Coast Hwy.; 949-497-7829; rubys.com
Splashes Restaurant and Bar
1555 S. Coast Hwy. at Surf & Sand Resort;
949-497-4477; surfandsandresort.com
Stonehill tavern
One Monarch Beach Resort;
949-234-3405; stregismb.com
Tommy Bahama Bar & Grill
400 S. Coast Hwy.; 949-376-6886;
tommybahama.com
Tivoli Terrace
650 Laguna Canyon Rd.; 949-494-9650;
tivoliterrace.com
Tivoli Too!
650 Laguna Canyon Rd.; 949-494-6044;
tivoli-too.com
Belgian
Brussels Bistro
222 Forest Ave.; 949-376-7955; brusselsbistro.com
California Contemporary
230 Forest Avenue
230 Forest Ave.; 949-494-2545;
230forestavenue.com
Café Anastasia
460 Ocean Ave.; 949-497-8903
Blue Laguna
696 S. Coast Hwy.; 949-376-2583;
bluelagunaoc.com
Cafe Zoolu
860 Glenneyre St.; 949-494-6825;
cafezoolu.com
K’ya Bistro Bar & The Rooftop Lounge
1287 S. Coast Hwy. at Hotel La Casa del Camino; 949-376-9718; kyabistro.com;
rooftoplagunabeach.com
The Loft
30801 S. Coast Hwy.
at Montage Laguna Beach; 949-715-6420;
montagelagunabeach.com
Madison Square & Garden Cafe
320 N. Coast Hwy.; 949-494-0137;
madisonsquare.com
Mosaic Bar and Grille at
Montage Laguna Beach
30801 S. Coast Hwy.; 949-715-6420;
montagelagunabeach.com
Nirvana Grille
303-101 Broadway; 949-497-0027;
nirvanagrille.com
Sundried Tomato
361 Forest Ave.; 949-494-3312;
thesundriedtomatocafe.com
Tabu Grill
2892 S. Coast Hwy.; 949-494-7743; tabugrill.com
The Terrace
425 S. Coast Hwy. at the Hotel Laguna;
949-494-1151; hotellaguna.com
The White House Restaurant & Nightclub
340 S. Coast Hwy.; 949-494-8088;
whitehouserestaurant.com
Watermarc Restaurant
448 S. Coast Hwy.; 949-376-6272;
watermarcrestaurant.com
Caribbean
Eva’s Caribbean Kitchen
31732 S. Coast Hwy.; 949-499-6311;
evascaribbeankitchen.com
Chinese
Mandarin King
1223 N. Coast Hwy.; 949-494-8992
Continental
Dizz’s As Is
2794 S. Coast Hwy.; 949-494-5250;
dizzsasis.com
French
C’est La Vie
373 S. Coast Hwy.; 949-497-5100;
cestlavierestaurant.com
French 75
1464 S. Coast Hwy.; 949-494-8444;
french75.net
Studio at Montage Laguna Beach
30801 S. Coast Hwy.; 949-715-6420;
studiolagunabeach.com
Global Cuisine
raya
1 Ritz-Carlton Dr.; 949-240-2000; ritzcarlton.com
Sapphire Laguna Restaurant & Pantry
1200 S. Coast Hwy.; 949-715-9888;
sapphirelaguna.com
Italian & Pizza
Cucina Alessa
234 Forest Ave.; 949-497-8222
Gina’s Pizza
610 N. Coast Hwy.; 949-497-4421;
1100 S. Coast Hwy.; 949-494-4342;
ginaspizza.com
Pizza Lounge
397 S. Coast Hwy.; 949-497-2277;
pizzalounges.com
Polina’s Salerno Italian Restaurant
220 Beach St.; 949-497-2600
Ristorante Rumari
1826 S. Coast Hwy.; 949-494-0400;
rumari.net
Romeo Cucina
249 Broadway; 949-497-6627;
romeocucina.com
Ti Amo Ristorante
31727 S. Coast Hwy.; 949-499-5350;
tiamolagunabeach.com
Z Pizza
30902 Coast Hwy.; 949-499-4949;
zpizza.com
Mediterranean
GG’s Café-Bistro
540-108 S. Coast Hwy.; 949-494-9306;
ggscafebistro.com
Zeytoon Cafe
412 N. Coast Hwy.; 949-715-9230;
zeytooncafe.com
Mexican
Asada
480 S. Coast Hwy.; 949-715-5533;
asadalaguna.com
Avila’s El Ranchito
1305 S. Coast Hwy.; 949-376-7040;
avilaselranchito.com
Coyote Grill
31621 Coast Hwy.; 949-499-4033;
coyotegrill.tv
Laguna Feast
801 Glenneyre St.; 949-494-0642
La Sirena Grill
347 Mermaid St.; 949-497-8226;
30862 S. Coast Hwy.; 949-499-2301;
lasirenagrill.com
Las Brisas
361 Cliff Dr.; 949-497-5434;
lasbrisaslagunabeach.com
Olamendi’s
1100 S. Coast Hwy.; 949-497-4148;
olamendis.com
papa’s Taco
31622 Coast Hwy.; 949-499-9822;
papastacosinc.com
Taco Loco
640-1B S. Coast Hwy.; 949-497-1635;
tacoloco.net
Seafood
The Beach House
619 Sleepy Hollow Lane; 949-494-9707;
thebeachhouse.com
Claes ovation
425 S. Coast Hwy. at Hotel Laguna;
949-376-9283; claesrestaurant.com
House of Big Fish & Ice Cold Beer
540-200 S. Coast Hwy.; 949-715-4500;
houseofbigfish.com
Seafood/Steaks
enosteak
One Ritz-Carlton Dr., Dana Point; 949-240-2000; ritzcarlton.com
maro wood grill
1915 S. Coast Hwy.; 949-793-4044;
marowoodgrill.com
Mozambique Steakhouse & Coastal Lounge
1740 S. Coast Hwy.; 949-715-7100;
mozambiqueoc.com
Rock’n Fish
422 S. Coast Hwy.; 949-497-3113;
rocknfishlb.com
starfish
30832 S. Coast Hwy.; 949-715-9200;
starfishlaguna.com
Specialty
Laguna Culinary Arts
845 Laguna Canyon Rd.; 949-494-4006;
lagunaculinaryarts.com
Sushi
242 Café Fusion Sushi
242 N. Coast Hwy.; 949-494-2444;
fusionart.us
katsuya
858 S. Coast Hwy.; 949-793-4030;
sbe.com/katsuya
O fine japanese cuisine
30872 S. Coast Hwy.; 949-715-5551;
ofinejapanesecuisine.com
San Shi Go
1100-303 S. Coast Hwy. (upper level);
949-494-1551
Thai
Laguna Thai by the Sea
31715 Coast Hwy.; 949-415-0924;
lagunathai.com
Royal Thai Cuisine
1750 S. Coast Hwy.; 949-494-8424;
royalthaicuisine.com
Thai Bros.
238 Laguna Ave.; 949-376-9979;
thaibroslaguna.com
Vegetarian
Zinc Cafe
350 Ocean Ave.; 949-494-6302;
zinccafe.com LBM
